Thursday, July 29, 2010

Done!

Second draft is done!!! Complete!!! Ready for me to load into an e-book reader as a .pdf file and experience it.

As long as I don't find any major flaws, and only spelling problems, I will add page breaks on the chapters, and print out review copies over the weekend.

Can't wait!!!

Just not tonight. I'm exhausted, but a good exhausted!!! It's been ten long months of research and writing. It's been 19 months since I first had a dream that I actually saw the ending to, which gave me the idea for this story.

I'm so thankful for my family for allowing me to take this journey.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

It's Not for me to Judge

With only three chapters remaining to be re-written, my alter-ego is kicking in.

"What if it's not good enough?"

"What if no-one likes the story?"

"What if I don't find an agent?"

And then I realized, that this is not for me to judge. My job is just to put the creativity out there. My job is to gain the best feedback possible.

My job is to listen.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Am I imagining things?

Am I imagining things, or is this real? Do I truly only have 11 chapters waiting to be re-written? Yes!

In small steps, most goals become possible. Like reading the Bible cover-to-cover, or learning to play an instrument.

So, too, is this book. I don't really know why I feel driven to complete it. Writing is difficult for me, especially verb tenses.

This weekend is exciting because the characters are starting to come alive, with hopes and dreams, and challenges of their own.

Well, time to get back to writing!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Chapter 15 is done!

Yes, the first week of my lead character's life in her new world has been drafted into my iPad! I'm at about 60 pages of 8-1/2 by 11 paper. Fifteen chapters down, thirteen (or more!) to go.

On the good-news front, I've been given guidelines from people at my work for marketing my book, about what I can and cannot say, in relation to my company. So, in a few weeks, I'll be trying to find a literary agent. That's a mouthful! I'll say it again, literary agent! Literary agent!

Also in a few weeks, I'll be printing out copies for my reviewers. Learned a hard lesson from an author who lost almost an entire book by sending it out for review via e-mail. The reviewer then sent it to friends for input, and one of these friends, or friends of friends, published it on the Internet. My review copies will have the reviewer's name in the footer of each printed page. Problem solved.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Too tired to dance!

I'm too tired to dance! The hands are strong, but sore from exertion. The brain is unwilling to adjust to a different rhythm from that of my keyboard. The heart is busy celebrating the half-way point of my book re-write. The back is trying not to hunch over. The legs are like rubber, and somewhat glued to the pillow that sits atop my chair. Surprisingly, the feet are somewhat willing, but one is broken, and sits in a brace and a walking boot.

Yes, I'm too tired to dance, so my celebration of being half-way through my re-write is a quiet one. A simple stretching of my hands towards the heavens. I am indeed thankful!